NAAV was founded in August, 1979 by the late Orville E. Kelly
( of Burlington, Iowa ) for the purposes of allowing the U. S. Atomic Veteran Community to speak, with a single voice, to
their inability to get a fair hearing related to their developing ( radiogenic ) health issues that may have been precipitated by
their exposure to “ionizing” radiation while participating in a nuclear weapon test detonation, or a “post-test” event. From
the beginning, and to date, we continue to pursue our purpose to this dedicated cause.

Who is an Atomic Veteran

Atomic Veterans were members of the United States Armed
Forces who participated in atmospheric and underwater nuclear weapons tests from 16 July, 1945 to 30 October 1962. They
also include veterans who were assigned to post test duties, such as “ground zero” nuclear warfare maneuvers & exercises,
removing radiation cloud samples from aircraft wing pods, working in close proximity to radiated test animals, de-contamination of aircraft and field test equipment, retrieval
and transport of test instruments & devices, and a host of other duty assignments that provided an opportunity for a radiation exposure & contamination event.

Also included are military personnel who were a part of the
Occupation Forces assigned to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan soon after the detonation of Atomic-Bombs over those respective cities, and those American prisoners of war ( POW’s )
who were housed in close proximity to those cities. These Veterans fit the VA’s “official” description of an Atomic-Veteran.

There is a second group of veterans who may have been
involved in radiation exposure events. These include post test events related to nuclear weapon devices detonated
underground or in shafts ( after 1962 ) that may have provided a radiation exposure event, or those who’s duties involved
regular use of radiation producing equipment or processes, such as power plant technicians aboard nuclear powered Aircraft
Carriers and Submarines, X-ray technicians, and those veterans assigned to the Enewetak Atoll radiation clean-up projects.
These veterans fit the VA’s “official” description as Occupational radiation exposed veterans.

The U. S. Nuclear Weapons Testing Program

There were more than one million U.S. Armed Forces personnel
, civilian scientists and engineering technicians involved in the detonation of nuclear & thermonuclear weapon devices, from 16
July 1945 ( the “Trinity” test at Alamogordo, NM. ) to 23 September, 1992 ( the last test in the “Julin” series at the
Nevada Test Site ). The United States has sponsored a total of 1,054 nuclear weapons tests, and detonated two of these weapons over enemy soil during an act of war.

During this period of time there were 1,147 actual nuclear ( aka
“bomb” ) tests. Some of these nuclear and thermonuclear detonations failed to produce any noticeable explosion, either by
design, or due to mechanical or electrical faults. Several of these tests, by official definition, were actually multiple
detonations, two or more at the same time, designed for gathering specific data & information or for instrument calibration purposes.

Nuclear Testing and Health

Even since nuclear testing began, it has been very difficult to
get a useful accounting of the effects of human exposure to the radiation particle fallout from these tests. This was largely
motivated partly by military secrecy, partly by a desire to allay public fears ( i.e. public relations reasons ), and partly by a fear
of possible legal actions by actual ( or potential ) radiation exposed victims.

Some exposure related incidents have been revealed due to the
impossibility of hiding them, namely the high radiation exposures of the Marshallese and Japanese fisherman after
the 1954 Castle “Bravo” disaster in the Marshall Islands. But most information on this subject has been largely withheld,
either deliberately buried in obscure reports, or never collected at all.

This was commonly known as the principle of being careful not
to learn what you don’t want to know. However; this information has slowly come to light, in bits and pieces, over the last 29 years.

What is probably the most important study of the health
effects of testing were announced by the National Cancer Institute in August of 1997, and released in October of that same year. The basic finding of the report is that internal
exposures to Radioiodine ( I-131 ) in fallout from continental nuclear weapons testing was the most serious of all health consequences. Radioiodine concentrates in milk, when
consumed by grazing cows, then concentrates in human thyroid glands after contaminated milk has been ingested into the body.

This concentration effect is especially strong in children. The
effect of these exposures is to boost the chance of contracting thyroid cancer, sometime in the lifetime, of those effected. No
efforts were made to systematically study the nationwide effects of atmospheric nuclear weapon testing until Congress ordered such a study, which was finally released 15 years after
the order.

Currently, there are approximately 195,000 Atomic Veterans
across America who either do not know their oath-of-secrecy has been rescinded, and who are not aware of the potential monetary benefits due them for ( service connected ) radiation
induced illnesses. The VA is offering them ( no cost ) Ionizing Radiation Register examinations, including complete blood and
urine testing. Additionally, as an Atomic Veteran, they qualify for VA prescription drugs ( for a minor co-pay fee ) which, in
most cases, is a meaningful benefit of itself.

The Directors, Officers and members of NAAV will always
salute the memory of those veterans who suffered and died from the after effects of radiation exposure, in the interest of U
.S. National Security, and who’s conditions and suffering were totally ignored by their own Government, their Congressional
leaders and a host of D.O.D. “Contract Consultants”. We hope you will join us in that salute to honor, duty and dedication to serving their country.

Qualifications for NAAV Membership

NAAV offers membership to any veteran who was assigned to
participate in a nuclear device detonation event or who may have been involved in post event assignments associated with
the U.S. Nuclear Weapons Testing Program from 16 July, 1945 to 23 September, 1992, or any veteran who’s assigned duties
included association with nuclear reactors on Aircraft Carriers and Submarines, or the assembly, storage and deployment of
nuclear weapon devices, or who may have been involved with Depleted Uranium ( DU ) munitions events during and after the
first Gulf War, or the surviving ( spouse, or child ) of a deceased Atomic Veteran.

NAAV Operating Funds

The Directors and Officers of NAAV are non-paid volunteers
who have devote much of their free time to assisting Atomic Veterans, and their survivors, in gaining access to those VA benefits they may be entitled to, since 1979.

Given this, we have depended solely upon our annual
membership dues and ( good Samaritan ) contributions from sympathetic & patriotic ( non-member ) individuals and small businesses.

All donations, contributions and / or sponsorships are tax
exempt, and are 100% dedicated to assisting Atomic Veterans in these important areas. Your monetary participation would be
most welcome and appreciated. We also welcome Newsletter Sponsorships, as well. For additional information about tax
-exempt contributions, please e-mail your inquiry to: commander.

You can help us ( and honor an Atomic Veteran ) by sending your contributions to: